New Nintendo Console Announced – The Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition

I bet that was the console you weren’t expecting! In what appears to be a rather sudden and very un-Nintendo like move, a modern but mini NES system will be coming out this November, pre-loaded with 30 games, and sold for the cool price of $59.99.

Nintendo is a very odd company when it comes to emulation and clone systems; it rarely allows licenses for ‘compatible’ systems, and it’s never released one of its own (excluding backwards compatible systems). For Nintendo to release a new version of such an iconic console is very rare event indeed.

Let’s go over the facts first. The horrifically long-winded and rather redundantly named Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition (we’ll call it the mini NES for now), will let modern gamers or old-schoolers with a flair of nostalgia enjoy some classic gaming with some modern convenience. The mini NES hooks up to any modern TV over HDMI, something long overdue for any classic console, really.

In-keeping with the old theme are new classic NES square controllers, which are also compatible with the Wii and Wii U. The mini NES is also compatible with the Classic and Classic Pro controllers, too – if you prefer something a little more ergonomic to hold on to.

The current list of 30 games is as follows:

• Balloon Fight
• Bubble Bobble
• Castlevania
• Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
• Donkey Kong
• Donkey Kong Jr.
• Double Dragon II: The Revenge
• Dr. Mario
• Excitebike
• Final Fantasy
• Galaga
• Ghosts’N Goblins
• Gradius
• Ice Climber
• Kid Icarus
• Kirby’s Adventure
• Mario Bros.
• Mega Man 2
• Metroid
• Ninja Gaiden
• Pac-Man
• Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream
• StarTropics
• Super C
• Super Mario Bros.
• Super Mario Bros. 2
• Super Mario Bros. 3
• Tecmo Bowl
• The Legend of Zelda
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

One small caveat is that, at the moment, there appears to be no way to add more games to the system, and there is also a lack of a cartridge system to play the real deal – so this mini NES is not a replacement for the original NES. Whether more games can be added at all, we’ll have to wait and see (although if modders get their hands on it, I’m sure they’ll find a way, official or not).

Currently, the NES Classic Edition is only launching in North America, and will be available on November 11th. We foresee many happy gamers leading up to the holiday season.